Premier Alan Winde updates on Coronavirus COVID-19 on 27 January

As of 1pm on 27 January, the Western Cape has 17 718 active Covid-19 infections with a total of 264 360 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 236 567 recoveries.

The Western Cape has recorded 95 additional deaths, bringing the total number of COVID-19 related deaths in the province to 10 075. We send our condolences to their loved ones at this time.

Additional data is available on the Western Cape Covid-19 data dashboard which also features active cases per sub-district, active cases per 100 000 and 7-day moving averages. Access the data dashboard here: https://coronavirus.westerncape.gov.za/covid-19-dashboard

Deaths in the Western Cape:

I am deeply saddened that the province today marked its 10000th death. We mourn these lives lost and I extend my deepest sympathies to those who have lost those who are dear to them.

At this stage, we all have either lost a loved one, a family member, a friend or a colleague, or we know someone who is grieving. As a province, we have lost leaders, healthcare workers, teachers, and people who still had so much potential. As individuals we mourn the loss of our grandparents, parents, spouses, siblings and friends.

We honour their memory. 

As a leader, I work every single day to ensure that this government does everything it can to save lives. We are making progress, as the death rate is declining but I call on every individual to help me do this by protecting yourself and your loved ones. Remember to wear your mask, wash your hands, and keep your distance. Avoid crowded spaces, close contact and confined spaces.

Digicon update:

This afternoon, I held my weekly digital press conference where we presented an update on the Covid-19 situation in the province.

We continue to see a decline in the major Covid-19 indicators in the province- including hospitalisations, deaths, the virus reproductive number, test positivity rate, active infections, health worker infections and oxygen use in our facilities. 

All of these are clear and consistent signs that we have passed the peak of our second wave. Our healthcare teams remain on high alert and our health teams and healthcare workers continue to work hard to manage the pandemic, and to save lives.

In light of these sustained declines, I this week wrote to the President to relax some of the restrictions in place in the Western Cape in order to protect thousands of jobs in our tourism, hospitality and agricultural industries.

Earlier this week, tourism data revealed that major attractions in the province had seen significant declines in visitors over the peak December period.

During today's digicon, the Department of Agriculture also presented data on the impact of the ban on the sale of alcohol on the sector.

Wine grapes make up 50.3% of the 181 233 hectares of long-term crop production in the Western Cape. Wine is also the third biggest Western Cape export product, making up 6.5% of provincial exports.

However, only 50% of the province's wines are actually exported, and the remaining 50% are sold in South Africa- on wine farms, at retail outlets and at restaurants and bars. Hundreds of thousands of jobs are created in the system between the vine until the time it reaches the South African consumer- in agriculture, bottling, transport, wine sales, retail, and in tourism and hospitality. 

It is for this reason that the Western Cape has requested that some of the restrictions around the sale alcohol, the curfew and the opening of beaches are relaxed. We must ensure that we protect those agri-workers, drivers, waiters, hotel staff, tour guides retail staff and their families who rely on their jobs in these industries to feed themselves and their families. We have done this because we believe that we must maintain the balance between saving lives and saving livelihoods.